Malinda found us through Google back in the middle of June and filled out the free quote form for her 2017 Toyota Highlander. Her answers were simple. Full detail, moderate dirt and dust buildup, no special concerns, just a thorough clean sometime in the next month. We talked that same day and set it up for right before the Fourth of July. She dropped it off on the evening of Thursday, July 2, and I had it in the garage first thing Friday morning.
A Nine Year Old Highlander That Gets Used
The Highlander is one of the most common SUVs I see in Panama City, and for good reason. They run forever and they haul everything. This one is a pretty blue grey with a light grey leather interior, and after nine years of daily use it had exactly what her quiz said it had. Not a disaster, just a steady layer of dust and grime everywhere that a quick wash and a gas station vacuum never really gets to.
The driver floor mat was the clearest example. When it came in, the carpet had those chalky white stains you get from sand and dried water tracked in on shoes. The door panels and steering wheel had the usual film from hands, and the jambs and the fuel door had road grime packed into the corners. Those are the spots people never think about until somebody cleans them and the difference jumps out.
The Work
I took the before photos a little after 8 in the morning and went to work inside first. The carpets and mats got vacuumed and cleaned until the white stains came out. The light grey leather got cleaned gently so it came back to its real color, and the steering wheel, dash, console and door panels were all wiped down by hand. Light interiors look great clean, but they show every bit of dirt, so the details matter.
Outside, the Highlander got a full hand wash in the garage, along with the wheels and tires and the fuel door area. It was finished and shining under the hex lights by about 1:30 that afternoon. If you want to see everything that goes into a job like this, thedetailing pagebreaks down each package.
The Result
The fuel door is a small thing, but I love that before and after. Before, the area around the gas cap was brown and crusty. After, it is clean metal and paint like the day the SUV left the lot. Same story on the floor. The mat went from chalky and stained to a deep, even black, and the whole cabin felt fresh again. Malinda got her Highlander back in time for the holiday weekend.
It is early October now, and fall is finally settling in over Panama City. The love bugs are out on the roads again, the summer beach sand is still hiding in a lot of carpets, and the holidays are not far off. If your SUV has carried the family through another Florida summer, afull detail in Panama Cityis a great way to reset it before the busy season. I do every job myself, one vehicle at a time, in a climate controlled garage. Give me a call and I will get you on the calendar.